Happy New Year!

Be safe tonight!

Books I've Read, 2008

I love reading, and this year I decided to keep a list of the books I read. It seems that 2008 was the year of non-fiction:

+Elvis Is Titanic by Ian Klaus
+Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz
+Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn and Hal Iggulden
+Holes by Louis Sachar (Great movie too!)
+The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffennegger
+I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert
+The Woman Who Wouldn't by Gene Wilder
+The Green Book by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen
+Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Ugh! Terrible, boring book!)
+Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier (not as good as her previous works)
+The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
+America (The Book) by Jon Stewart & the Daily Show Writers
+The Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser
+Living Like Ed by Ed Begley Jr.
+Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell (reread)
+Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (I really don't see what the big deal is, but I'll keep reading- for now)
+New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
+Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer (and now I get a vampire break while Jenny reads Breaking Dawn!)
+Born Standing Up by Steve Martin (One of the best books I've ever read; seriously moving, funny, and inspiring)
+Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer


Best Book: Tie between Elvis is Titanic and Born Standing Up. Both were greatly inspiring and challenge the way you see the world (both in very different ways).

Worst Book: "I read Love in the Time of Cholera... More like 'Love in the Time of Don't-Bothera.' " --Robin, 'How I Met Your Mother'
Couldn't have said it better myself.

Looking forward to in 2009: Just starting re-reading the Harry Potter series for the millionth time, and plan to cap it off with Tales of Beedle the Bard, which I received for Christmas. Then on to The Kite Runner, The Wordy Shipmates, and Inside Inside (maybe not in that order though).
Also, still waiting for that movie adaptation of 'The Time Traveler's Wife.'

Just for fun...

If you're not a fan of the The Office, then start watching now. If you are a fan, check out Dunder Mifflin Infinity, an online community of the show's fans. Basically we 'work' for a DM branch, and earn Schrute Bucks for completing weekly tasks corresponding to that week's episode.

Just for fun I created some signature images for my branch. Here two from this season:

More paper bowls...

See more on Photobucket.

Get Out The Vote!

It doesn't matter how you vote-- Just Vote!

Find your polling place.

More Recycled Crafts

Lately I've been looking for ways to reuse things that I would normally recycle or throw out. My recent paper bowl obsession has resulted in half-a-dozen recycled magazine receptacles sitting in my living room, so I've decided to take a bit of break from them and move on to some less time-consuming projects.


I found an old Thomas Brothers map book from 1996 that was pretty useless to my family as it's outdated and we all live in San Diego now. Since I love decorating with maps, I decided to update my book shelves with the book's pages. I started by ripping out the pages that I wanted to use, and laying them out in order.
Because of the way these books are printed, I did have to photocopy the backs of some pages to get a complete map. However, only a few photocopies were needed, and I used recycled paper for those.

Once I had completed a section of map, I trimmed off the white borders (they were recycled this time, but in the future I may save them to make some home-made paper).

Next I adhered my map pages to the original backing of my bookshelf using photo mount. Photo mount worked great for this project: it adheres paper cleanly and without moisture, and can be repositioned with little worry of ripping the paper.


Once all the maps were in place, I folded the excess around the back and glued it in place. Lastly, I nailed the backing onto the shelf, and ta-da!-- a "new" bookshelf.

Wedding Card- Part 2!

This was the wedding card I made for my good friend Sarah, who was married on 8/8/08. I couldn't post it before because I was worried she might see it before the wedding.

Click image to see entire card.

Recycled crafts

I decided to finally put our old magazine's to use instead of simply recycling them. I've been eyeing some very cool bowls made from recycled candy wrappers for awhile now, but they are unfortunately out of my price range for the moment.

The bowl is still in progress, but pretty well finished. My next bowl will be more "bowl" shaped, and a bit more colorful. I'm also going to use some lighter weight paper for a neater look. (The Vanity Fair "Fashion Rocks" supplement made a very sturdy bowl, but it wasn't as malleable as I thought it would be. I think magazines along the lines of Newsweek and Time would be the best paper to work with.)

I'm also thinking about using newsprint and catalogs. That would be a great use for the weekly grocery ads and onslaught of Victoria's Secret catalogs that currently clutter up the mailbox.

Do a little good this summer

I am part of an online community known as Dunder Mifflin Infinity. The community is for fans of the TV show "The Office," and includes such silliness as virtual desks, mini-golf tournaments, and other Office related tasks.

However, every once in awhile we do something important with our spare (or non-spare) time. This summer DMI is kicking off its United Way Fundraising Task. The Bangor, Maine branch has chosen to raise funds for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, and hope someone out there will decide to help us!

If you wish to donate, please click here. Every little bit helps, and is greatly appreciated!

Yes, there is a prize awarded to the branch and employee who raises the most money. However, the DMI community generally agrees that the prize is irrelevant. We all just want to help-- which is all the reward we need.





Quick and easy fundraising idea: Collect bottles and cans from your family or company barbecues, on the beach, or around your neighborhood, and donate the redemption money received to St. Jude's. You'll be helping the environment and children at the same time!

Some more greeting cards...

Both cards were made for my friend Sarah's bachelorette party this weekend in Las Vegas. I thought the punk/rock 'n roll theme fit the mood of Sin City and our celebration of her singledom!


Thank you card for our hosts at The Light Group:

(collage: various printed and solid papers)


Bachelorette Card:

(collage: printed and solid papers, rub on transfer)

Wedding card!

Ok, I'm banking on the fact that my cousin and his fiance will not read this between now and June 27th...

Click photo to see entire card.
(Front, Left Inside Fold, Inside Center)

New Website!

Well, I finally got my new website up and running. Thank you iWeb and Mecca Hosting!


Please check it out, and let me know what you think.

Fun distractions...

Meeting Gene Wilder at a book signing. March 13th





The Getty Villa. January